Today we’d like to introduce you to Meg McLaughlin.
Hi Meg, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started in photojournalism on little more than just an obsession with the idea of storytelling through photography. I studied theatre in college, focusing on stage management. By the start of my senior year, I had finished all my required classes but still needed to find another elective to graduate. I thought that a photo 101 course would be easy. Turns out I was super wrong; it was incredibly hard and I actually almost failed. We had a lecture one day on photojournalism, and something clicked. I bought a Nikon DSLR at Best Buy and there was no turning back. I took photos of everything and anything. I watched hours of YouTube videos and read countless blogs on how to take better photos. I bothered my local newspaper at the time, calling them all of the time. I was begging just to get a job shadow. The director of photography at the paper, the Dispatch/Argus. Eventually humored me with just that. That job shadow ended up leading to some freelance work and that turned into a summer internship and finally, a full-time position as a staff photographer. I worked for 6.5 years in hometown and loved every second of it. I moved to Des Moines to work for the Des Moines Register at the end of 2021 before landing my dream job as a photographer focusing mainly on sports at the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I am so lucky to love what I do for living. I truly feel like I haven’t worked a single day in the past 8 years. That said, they weren’t without challenges. I’ve struggled with my mental health since I was a child and was diagnosed with depression as a teenager, so it’s no surprise that I absolutely have imposter syndrome. It’s easy to fall down the rabbit hole of self-doubt. This world is in no shortage of incredible photographers, and it’s hard to feel like you even remotely compare. But I am not alone in this feeling, in fact, almost every photographer I know feels the same way.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a staff photographer for The San Diego Union-Tribune, where I specialize in sports. I have been a newspaper photographer for over a decade, and I am so proud to have been trusted to the stories’ of multiple communities. I personally try to showcase emotion in my work in both news and sports. I think the story I am most proud of was that of an elderly woman who became unhoused after historic flooding on the Mississippi River in Illinois in 2019. The woman, Nancy Riesebieter, 75, was diagnosed with breast cancer and needed living surgery a few months prior to the flooding. In order to pay for the surgery, she was forced to give up her flood insurance. She lost everything and had no family to learn on. I followed Nancy for 8 months as she navigated these challenges. After the initial story ran, the community ended up donating enough money to rebuild her home. It was a humbling experience and a great reminder that what we do really can make an impact directly.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Countless photo books from so many talented photographers keep me inspired. I recently was gifted “Field of Play: 60 Years of NFL Photography” by Steve Cassady which celebrates the work of sports photojournalist Michael Zagaris, and I cannot wait to dive in.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @megmclau
- Twitter: @MegmclaughlinDA
